Designer & Web Strategy Consultant in Sheffield, UK

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Not about what you know or what you have

I use how much I know or what I have as an excuse to not do certain things. The problem is that what you know or what you have is not the bottom line most of the time. Sure it helps to have learned how to do things so that it’s easier for you, or to have money, good equipment, etc. However, the bottleneck most of the time is what you do or don’t do.

Knowing

To prove the point, how many people know that smoking is extremely likely to cause cancer or simply reduce their quality of life and still keep smoking?

You know you shouldn’t overeat on chocolate, deep fried foods and that (lets be honest) McDonalds has very low nutritional values for the money you pay. But yet, you still nibble on these and pay for them. We’ve all done it and hence it’s not about knowing.

I know how to learn a new language, but I’m not doing it.

Having

For months I would sit and read about cycling equipment. Then once I get some good gear one day I go out and start cycling. Thirty kilometers in I am all tired, sweating, can’t catch my breath, my legs are in pain. “That’s not fair, I have the equipment!!” goes my mind. But that’s just BS. Having doesn’t mean you can do. For example, British cycling prodigy Chris Froom has one two Tour de France races (first brit ever to do it), but he grew up in Africa. There were no roads for cycling and he randomly got into a mountain biking club. Later when he wanted to train, because everything was flat around his area he would cycling while holding the breaks on his bike to simulate the climb resistance and build strength. He didn’t have all the expensive gear, the right conditions but he still managed.

Doing

Most of the time it’s just about doing. Ignoring the fear of failure because we all fail all day long, all the time – we fail communicating accurately with others, we fail to understand or to be aware; we also fail to make the right calls or to not hurt others. And that’s all fine, because we just need to keep doing until we get it right.

Summary

You can know all the books, you can go to all the know-how seminars but still sit at home on the couch with that knowledge and waste it away. You can also buy the most expensive and valuable equipment and gadgets, but that doesn’t mean you will be successful, that you will get more stuff done or that you will be fitter. The bottom line is always how much effort you put and what you get done, there’s no hiding from that. Trying to ignore it will just waste your time and resources – go do.